Last Updated on June 9, 2022 by Shabnam Sengupta
As stated by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders, type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system of your body attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. According to the scientists, type 1 diabetes is caused due to genes and environmental factors, such as viruses that might trigger the disease.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. It can be caused due to several reasons including lifestyle factors such as physical inactivity, obesity, insulin resistance and genes, and family history. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy, which is caused due to hormonal changes during the period as well as genetic and lifestyle factors.
There are certain predisposing factors that can increase the risk of diabetes. Such factors for type 1 diabetes include family history, environmental factors, the presence of damaging immune system cells (autoantibodies), and geography (certain countries, such as Finland and Sweden, have higher rates of type 1 diabetes).
For prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, the predisposing factors are being overweight, minimal to no physical activity, family history, PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Also, it has been observed that people from Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Asian American communities are at higher risk. However, this is still being studied and the reason behind it is not yet clear.
Lastly, if you developed gestational diabetes during your pregnancy, you are at a higher risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
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